Casting: The main characters are Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), Mrs Robinson (Anne Bancroft) and Elaine Robinson (Katharine Ross). Hoffman and Ross were fairly unknown at this time, but Bancroft had already established herself in the industry with an Oscar-winning performance in The Miracle Worker (1962). The ‘gamble’ taken on casting two unknowns on this occasion was perfect. Hoffman gives an incredible performance, bringing a unique humour to the role that is apparent in every scene, as well as creating multiple iconic film moments still talked about today. Ross, who at this time could be argued to be one of the most attractive women in the world, gives an equally excellent performance, by matching Hoffman’s eccentricity, but in a more subtle manner. Bancroft’s performance as Mrs Robinson can be best judged by the fact that she is only 6yrs older than Hoffman, she brings a maturity to the role that would be expected from much older actresses.

Story: The story of The Graduate is a young man (Benjamin Braddock), who has just graduated college, being seduced by a friend of his parents (Mrs Robinson). This escalates into a regular affair, until Elaine Robinson, Mrs Robinson daughter, returns home and is set up on a date with Braddock, to Mrs Robinson’s disbelief. Mrs Robinson then falsely tells Elaine that Benjamin raped her, which causes many an obstacle in a love-at-first-date scenario. The movie ends with a newly-wed Elaine abandoning all the people in her life, to run away with Benjamin, and they get on a bus and ride away, not knowing where their lives will take them. This movie could have been a dark romantic-drama, but instead Nichols (director) weaves comedy throughout to maintain the light-hearted atmosphere.

Music: Simon and Garfunkel, not much more can really be said. It’s a brand of music I enjoy, yet I can imagine some people hating it. Mrs Robinson (song) being a song that immediately can be recognised as from The Graduate in modern times, and an S & G classic.

Predictability: It was expected that issues would arise if Benjamin dated Elaine, and an element of predictability that Mrs Robinson would reveal the affair. However, the final scene could have gone one of three ways. 1. The way it did. 2. Elaine not coming (voluntarily) with Benjamin and him riding the bus alone. 3. Elaine not coming (involuntarily) with Benjamin and him riding the bus alone.

I saw The Graduate for the fourth, or fifth time Sunday morning. Not exactly keeping count. When I was killing time and waiting to meet a friend that I got together very early with on Sunday. My friend and I had this little minor debate going on whether, or not Anne Bancroft, who I think is the star of this movie, whether she is overrated in this movie. This movie, is Ann Bancroft’s defining role. She is known as Mrs. Robinson and for very good reasons. Because she played a beautiful, sexy, very cute, witty, intelligent, seductress who knew exactly what she wanted and what she didn’t want. And how to get what she wanted and stop what she didn’t want.

My friend and I, off an on, the last couple of weeks, have been discussing whether Anne is overrated physically, or not. I agree with my friend, that she’s not the best looking women of the 1960s, or from her generation lets say. But I haven’t heard anyone suggest that she is. But she was a very cute, beautiful, sexy women and a hell of an actress and her role and how she played it, is critical to this movie. It’s the Dustin Hoffman character, not the actor, but Ben Braddock, who I’m not impressed with. He’s just graduated from college with a college degree. And has no idea what the hell he wants to do with his life. He sort of has the personality of a hit man. Someone who speaks in very short if not one word sentences. Who prefers to be by himself, someone what emotionally distant and doesn’t show much if any emotion.

And that is pretty much what makes The Graduate work. A beautiful sexy cute witty intelligent women, in Mrs. Robinson, who is not happy with her marriage and perhaps life in general. Who uses Ben Braddock, who is lost and doesn’t know where he’s going, to fill whatever void that she has with her husband. Which is physical attraction, attention, sex, the feeling that she’s still beautiful and sexy. Which of course she is, but perhaps her husband, played by Murray Hamilton, has lost something perhaps downstairs and up. But the thing is, the people around Ben, his family actually do care about him and want him to be happy and they along with Mr. Robinson, set up Ben with the Robinson’s daughter. Elaine Robinson, played by the beautiful and adorable Katharine Ross.

That is pretty much how this movie goes. Mrs. Robinson, doesn’t want Ben to date her daughter. She wants Ben as his sex partner and doesn’t believe Ben is good enough for his daughter. But the date goes on anyway and Ben at first tries to comply with Mrs. Robinson and intentionally makes the date horrible for Elaine and is distant the whole time and takes her to a strip club even. Great way to lose a date if that is your goal, but discovers that he’s been a real asshole, to be blunt about it. And that he’s really hurt Elaine who didn’t deserve it. And tries to make it up to her and they have a really good date after that.

Again, Mrs. Robinson, doesn’t want Ben with her daughter. To the point that she tells her about the actual affair that she had with Ben. And even goes to far and tells Elaine, that Ben raped her. Which of course didn’t happen. And Elaine dumps him and goes away for graduate school and Ben spends the rest of the movie trying to win her back. The first forty-five minutes of this movie, are very good and very funny. Mrs. Robinson, tries to seduce Ben two times and swings and misses. Ben, probably feeling way to guilty to take her up on her very generous offer. The third pitch, is thrown by Ben this time and he offers himself to her and invites her to a hotel. This is a great movie about people who aren’t very happy with themselves. And don’t know where they’re going until they get there.

I saw The Graduate for the fourth, or fifth time Sunday morning. Not exactly keeping count. When I was killing time and waiting to meet a friend that I got together very early with on Sunday. My friend and I had this little minor debate going on whether, or not Anne Bancroft, who I think is the star of this movie, whether she is overrated in this movie. This movie, is Ann Bancroft’s defining role. She is known as Mrs. Robinson and for very good reasons. Because she played a beautiful, sexy, very cute, witty, intelligent, seductress who knew exactly what she wanted and what she didn’t want. And how to get what she wanted and stop what she didn’t want.

My friend and I, off an on, the last couple of weeks, have been discussing whether Anne is overrated physically, or not. I agree with my friend, that she’s not the best looking women of the 1960s, or from her generation lets say. But I haven’t heard anyone suggest that she is. But she was a very cute, beautiful, sexy women and a hell of an actress and her role and how she played it, is critical to this movie. It’s the Dustin Hoffman character, not the actor, but Ben Braddock, who I’m not impressed with. He’s just graduated from college with a college degree. And has no idea what the hell he wants to do with his life. He sort of has the personality of a hit man. Someone who speaks in very short if not one word sentences. Who prefers to be by himself, someone what emotionally distant and doesn’t show much if any emotion.

And that is pretty much what makes The Graduate work. A beautiful sexy cute witty intelligent women, in Mrs. Robinson, who is not happy with her marriage and perhaps life in general. Who uses Ben Braddock, who is lost and doesn’t know where he’s going, to fill whatever void that she has with her husband. Which is physical attraction, attention, sex, the feeling that she’s still beautiful and sexy. Which of course she is, but perhaps her husband, played by Murray Hamilton, has lost something perhaps downstairs and up. But the thing is, the people around Ben, his family actually do care about him and want him to be happy and they along with Mr. Robinson, set up Ben with the Robinson’s daughter. Elaine Robinson, played by the beautiful and adorable Katharine Ross.

That is pretty much how this movie goes. Mrs. Robinson, doesn’t want Ben to date her daughter. She wants Ben as his sex partner and doesn’t believe Ben is good enough for his daughter. But the date goes on anyway and Ben at first tries to comply with Mrs. Robinson and intentionally makes the date horrible for Elaine and is distant the whole time and takes her to a strip club even. Great way to lose a date if that is your goal, but discovers that he’s been a real asshole, to be blunt about it. And that he’s really hurt Elaine who didn’t deserve it. And tries to make it up to her and they have a really good date after that.

Again, Mrs. Robinson, doesn’t want Ben with her daughter. To the point that she tells her about the actual affair that she had with Ben. And even goes to far and tells Elaine, that Ben raped her. Which of course didn’t happen. And Elaine dumps him and goes away for graduate school and Ben spends the rest of the movie trying to win her back. The first forty-five minutes of this movie, are very good and very funny. Mrs. Robinson, tries to seduce Ben two times and swings and misses. Ben, probably feeling way to guilty to take her up on her very generous offer. The third pitch, is thrown by Ben this time and he offers himself to her and invites her to a hotel. This is a great movie about people who aren’t very happy with themselves. And don’t know where they’re going until they get there.

I saw The Graduate for the fourth, or fifth time Sunday morning. Not exactly keeping count. When I was killing time and waiting to meet a friend that I got together very early with on Sunday. My friend and I had this little minor debate going on whether, or not Anne Bancroft, who I think is the star of this movie, whether she is overrated in this movie. This movie, is Ann Bancroft’s defining role. She is known as Mrs. Robinson and for very good reasons. Because she played a beautiful, sexy, very cute, witty, intelligent, seductress who knew exactly what she wanted and what she didn’t want. And how to get what she wanted and stop what she didn’t want.

My friend and I, off an on, the last couple of weeks, have been discussing whether Anne is overrated physically, or not. I agree with my friend, that she’s not the best looking women of the 1960s, or from her generation lets say. But I haven’t heard anyone suggest that she is. But she was a very cute, beautiful, sexy women and a hell of an actress and her role and how she played it, is critical to this movie. It’s the Dustin Hoffman character, not the actor, but Ben Braddock, who I’m not impressed with. He’s just graduated from college with a college degree. And has no idea what the hell he wants to do with his life. He sort of has the personality of a hit man. Someone who speaks in very short if not one word sentences. Who prefers to be by himself, someone what emotionally distant and doesn’t show much if any emotion.

And that is pretty much what makes The Graduate work. A beautiful sexy cute witty intelligent women, in Mrs. Robinson, who is not happy with her marriage and perhaps life in general. Who uses Ben Braddock, who is lost and doesn’t know where he’s going, to fill whatever void that she has with her husband. Which is physical attraction, attention, sex, the feeling that she’s still beautiful and sexy. Which of course she is, but perhaps her husband, played by Murray Hamilton, has lost something perhaps downstairs and up. But the thing is, the people around Ben, his family actually do care about him and want him to be happy and they along with Mr. Robinson, set up Ben with the Robinson’s daughter. Elaine Robinson, played by the beautiful and adorable Katharine Ross.

That is pretty much how this movie goes. Mrs. Robinson, doesn’t want Ben to date her daughter. She wants Ben as his sex partner and doesn’t believe Ben is good enough for his daughter. But the date goes on anyway and Ben at first tries to comply with Mrs. Robinson and intentionally makes the date horrible for Elaine and is distant the whole time and takes her to a strip club even. Great way to lose a date if that is your goal, but discovers that he’s been a real asshole, to be blunt about it. And that he’s really hurt Elaine who didn’t deserve it. And tries to make it up to her and they have a really good date after that.

Again, Mrs. Robinson, doesn’t want Ben with her daughter. To the point that she tells her about the actual affair that she had with Ben. And even goes to far and tells Elaine, that Ben raped her. Which of course didn’t happen. And Elaine dumps him and goes away for graduate school and Ben spends the rest of the movie trying to win her back. The first forty-five minutes of this movie, are very good and very funny. Mrs. Robinson, tries to seduce Ben two times and swings and misses. Ben, probably feeling way to guilty to take her up on her very generous offer. The third pitch, is thrown by Ben this time and he offers himself to her and invites her to a hotel. This is a great movie about people who aren’t very happy with themselves. And don’t know where they’re going until they get there.

Anne Bancroft received her fourth Oscar nomination for playing Emma Jackson, an ageing ballerina in The Turning Point (1977).

I am trying not to launch into a lengthy post about how Anne Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn and Geraldine Page are 3 of my top inspirations. Maybe not my most favourite actresses (although they no doubt are among my favourites), but definitely the few that I admire the most. Which is strange, considering that I actually haven’t seen a lot of Bancroft and Page’s movies (I have only seen 3 of Geraldine Page’s movies). When I was doing theatre in school, I remember repeatedly watching youtube clips featuring the greatest moments from these 3 actresses (like the table fight scene in The Miracle Worker, the seduction scene in The Graduate, the church scene in Interiors and the red dress monologue in Requiem for a Dream). Of course, it sounds as though I was treating a uni play way too seriously (there was an actual acting coach present though, so it was pretty intense), but watching these clips really motivated me and inspired me. I felt as if I learned so much about acting from these 3 actresses. Of course, I’m not saying my actual performance ever hit that level (I wish), but it was a really wonderful feeling to draw inspiration from them for my own craft.

Anne Bancroft was a really fascinating actress. She was incredibly versatile, natural, and she had this power in her work that will really hit you in the guts. It’s amazing, considering that she actually rarely goes over the top or chew scenery in her performances. I know we often describe how certain aspects of a performer are their “assets”, such their eyes or their voice, but in Bancroft’s case, I feel as though she radiates acting strength. Of course, her voice is fantastic, but you can really sense how she is always in total control of her body and emotions when she acts, which is just incredible to watch.

The role of Emma, for me, is the highlight of The Turning Point. People often point out how limited Bancroft’s screentime is and how she should be more of a supporting character. I will be perfectly honest here and tell you that I actually didn’t even notice how limited her screentime was because I was so captivated by her performance. I found her presence so strong that she turns her story into the main one of the film, and I frankly cannot classify her as a supporting role. It’s a very similar situation to Patricia Neal’s best actress win in Hud.

What I loved the most about Bancroft’s performance is the numerous layers she adds to Emma, and how naturally she does it. Emma is actually a pretty kind and nice person by nature, and it is sort of easy to see why she is so respected by her peers. Bancroft uses her unique presence to her advantage – even though she doesn’t really dance in the film, there’s this aura she emits that suggests she is (or was once) a pro.

The bitterness and fears are all brilliantly handled by Bancroft. I really felt her desperation when she is starting to lose the roles to the younger dancers, but there is this pride and dignity about her that is really respectable. She doesn’t even really cry or anything; there was one fantastic scene where she started having hiccups after being turned down for a role. It seemed like such an odd reaction and yet to me it spoke volumes about the character.

We also got to see the manipulative side of Emma, where she started treating Emilia (Leslie Browne) as her own daughter. What works for this part is how naturally it came to the character, so much so that I wouldn’t even exactly say that the character is manipulative per se. To me, it is just something that happened, because Emma has always longed for a family and I felt that the motherly way she treated Emilia was a subconscious thing. I love her reaction when she was asked to mentor Emilia; the way her eyes lit up really made me feel for her.

People often say that the weaker aspect of this performance would be the catfight scene. To me, Bancroft pulls it off even though I agree that it seemed incongruent with the rest of her performance. Frankly, I blame this on the writing more than anything. There is way too much class in Emma to engage in this kind of ridiculous hair pulling and spanking, and it probably shouldn’t have turned out this way. Both actresses managed to save it with the laughter, but I always felt that this part was a weak link for the entire film.

To conclude, I will say that I really loved Anne Bancroft’s performance in The Turning Point. I can understand the major issues people have with it, such as the limited screentime and its non-flashiness, but I really took away a lot from her work here. In fact, while I definitely don’t think she should win over Keaton, I feel like performance would have been the kind of Oscar win that people don’t mind too much, even if they don’t agree with it. A great performance by a gifted performer that gets 4.5/5. I’m not over-enthusiastic.

Shirley MacLaine

Shirley MacLaine also received her fourth best actress nomination for playing Deedee in The Turning Point. I disagree when some people say that MacLaine had a high chance of winning because of the “overdue” factor. The Oscar was the only award she was nominated for, which just seemed unlikely. And frankly, while I think she is a movie star in her own right, I don’t think there was enough hype for the voters to suddenly swing in her direction. Of course, I am purely speculating here and I am not familiar at all with the situation back then, so feel free to correct me

Unlike Anne Bancroft, I don’t really want to talk that much about Shirley MacLaine. Do I think she’s a damn good actress? Yes. But there is something about her personality that I dislike, and unfortunately, her arrogance does show in her lesser roles. I still enjoy her performances in general though, and I do respect her a lot as a performer.

Although MacLaine has a lot more screentime than Bancroft, I frankly find her the less interesting character. There are some who prefer her over Bancroft, and there are some who do not (including me), but I will say that she does have quite a lot of great acting moments scattered throughout the film. What bugs me is that even though she is more lead than Bancroft (by virtue of screentime), you realise that her character is not as layered and she actually doesn’t really do much in the screentime she has. She has conversations with the other characters, she looks after her children, but it doesn’t really reveal anything about the character or introduce some sort of inner conflict. It’s just a portrait of a woman who has given up her career and decided to be a mother instead.

Of course, the main thing that plays out extremely well is Deedee’s regret over giving up her career for her family. MacLaine succeeds in portraying Deedee’s insecurities, and you can tell that the decision has bugged her for a very long time. Unfortunately, the performance starts to run thin and for me, it makes the character less interesting. I wouldn’t say she’s boring like some do, because I do feel for Deedee and her regrets, but compared to the complexities of Bancroft’s Emma, it’s just not that interesting. There are also a lot of great brief moments here and there, such as her happiness and pride when she sees her daughter dancing, or the jealousy in her eyes when she sees Emma’s relationship with Emilia. A lot of it has got to do with the way the character is written, but I do wish MacLaine would have went all out in bringing out the character’s flaws instead of showing flashes of it here and there. I just think that unlike the graceful Emma, Deedee’s personality requires more force and less class.

The highlight of the performance is probably the catfight scene, but to be honest, I felt that MacLaine was outacted by Bancroft in the confrontation scene. Even though Deedee is the one throwing out the accusations and “attacking” Emma, Bancroft just calmly shoots her down in this “bitch, please” way that makes her pale in comparison. The line “I’m too good” that was delivered by Bancroft pretty much sums up the whole scene. That may also have been the intention behind the scene, but I felt like MacLaine didn’t really match the level of intensity that Bancroft was giving.

The catfight scene, however, is probably more of MacLaine’s moment than Bancroft. It’s horrible writing but the “NOT MY DAUGHTER” scream really worked. I know this is going to sound weird, but I actually think that MacLaine is at her best when she gets to ham it up a little. There’s so much force and anger here that was lacking in the early scene with Emilia (cause Browne was so underwhelming too), and it made me realise what was needed for this performance. It was like a largely absent but necessary contrast to Bancroft’s quieter role.

Then again, although I might have sounded too critical, I actually have no problems with MacLaine’s performance here. I had no problems with her deliveries or her acting choices, and if you would have noticed that a lot of what I said was about what “it could have been” rather than what “she should not have done”. It’s really not a bad performance (it’s pretty good actually), and it fits the movie well, I just don’t think it is the highlight. I can live with the nomination and give it a strong 3.5/5.

All I can say is beware of the guests you invite in to your dreams; the results can be disastrously hilarious.

P.S. I discovered this story through a performance I heard on Selected Shorts, a podcast I have blogged about previously.

]]>https://glitternight.com/2015/07/01/gorilla-at-large-1954-on-the-texas-27-film-vault/
Wed, 01 Jul 2015 02:33:38 +0000balladeerhttps://glitternight.com/2015/07/01/gorilla-at-large-1954-on-the-texas-27-film-vault/Before MST3K there was … The Texas 27 Film Vault! In the middle 1980’s, way down on Level 31 Randy Clower and Richard Malmos, machine-gun toting Film Vault Technicians First Class hosted this neglected cult show. Balladeer’s Blog continues its celebration of the program’s THIRTIETH anniversary year.

ORIGINAL BROADCAST DATE: Saturday December 6th, 1986 from 10:30pm to 1:00am.

SERIAL: Before presenting and mocking Gorilla at Large our machine-gun wielding Film Vault Technicians First Class presented and mocked an episode of Mysterious Doctor Satan, a Republic serial from 1940. The serial featured a mad scientist called Dr Satan trying to take over the world with a very, VERY goofy- looking robot while a pulp-style hero called the Copperhead tried to thwart his plans.

FILM VAULT LORE: This time around the movie ticket give-away from Channel 27 (the “27” in The Texas 27 Film Vault) was for a chance to go see the 1986 release King Kong Lives.

Richard Malmos (left) and Randy Clower relaxing between takes on the set of The Texas 27 Film Vault.

HOST SEGMENTS: Gorilla at Large was one of the 3-D films from the 1950’s, and those are always funny and campy as hell, especially in the scenes with objects unnecessarily coming at the camera. The fun Randy and Richard had riffing on 3-D glasses and the whole 3-D phenomenon of the 50’s (and its 80’s revival) seems to have kicked off with this episode. In later episodes we’d get their “3-D interview” with Ben Johnson, a showing of Friday the 13th Part 3-D and even The Texas 27 Film Vault 3-D poster drawn by THE Kerry Gammil. Gorilla at Large is one of the movies represented on that poster.

THE MOVIE: Gorilla at Large provided a wealth of material for Randy and Richard to work with. Remember, their previous show had been The Trivia Guys and this film about a murderous gorilla at a circus was packed with opportunities for pop culture shoutouts. To cite just a few:

* George Barrows, the man in the gorilla suit as our title monster Goliath, was the same guy who wore the ape/robot outfit as Ro-Man in that staple of Bad Movie shows Robot Monster (previously shown on The Texas 27 Film Vault).

* Lee J Cobb of The Virginian and much, much more played Detective Garrison, the man investigating the killings at the circus. Cobb had appeared in a stage production of Death of a Salesman with Cameron Mitchell of all people!

* Raymond Burr, renowned as Perry Mason and Ironside among other characters, played Cy Miller, the owner of the murder-plagued circus.

* Billy Curtis, one of the big screen’s most noted little people, played Slim, the circus’ midget.

The plot, as if it mattered in a movie like this, involves a series of murders at a traveling circus. The gorilla Goliath seems to be the culprit but might be being framed by Cameron Mitchell, whose new act involves dressing up as a phony gorilla to spice up Anne Bancroft’s dangerous interplay with the “real” gorilla Goliath (George Barrows). Another man in a gorilla suit is seen letting the real gorilla loose to unleash mayhem at another point in the story just to add more complications.

In the end, of course, Goliath the gorilla goes on a rampage with Anne Bancroft as his captive. Was Goliath behind all the killings? If not who was? I don’t want to spoil the central mystery of this movie by revealing too much. Suffice it to say the soap-operatic sub-plots involving embezzlement, love triangles and involuntary manslaughter will have you laughing at the sheer campiness of it all no matter WHO the secret mastermind is.

Randy (right) and Richard way down on Level 31 hosting The Texas 27 Film Vault

IN THE NEAR FUTURE BALLADEER’S BLOG WILL PRESENT MORE TEXAS 27 FILM VAULT MILESTONES.

Be here to share the Film Vault Corp’s mission of “safeguarding America’s schlock-culture heritage”.

]]>https://irisveysey.com/2015/06/30/hollywood-wears-leopard/
Tue, 30 Jun 2015 19:42:22 +0000irisveyseyhttps://irisveysey.com/2015/06/30/hollywood-wears-leopard/Last weekend, I had the pleasure of seeing Robert Siodmak’s tense crime thriller Cry of the City (1948). Siodmak’s masterful tale of two men on different sides of the law features a young Shelley Winters, making a brief but memorable appearance clad in a dramatic leopard print coat. Here’s a round-up of a few more memorable leopard print costumes, from the supremely chic to the magnificently tacky.

Journey into Fear (Orson Welles, 1943)

Why just wear leopard print when you can actually dress as a leopard? This seems to be the rationale of dancer Josette (Dolores del Rio) in Orson Welles’ thriller Journey into Fear. Josette’s stage costume is extraordinary, even by showgirl standards: a skin-tight body with cut-outs and one sleeve; a cap with ears, face and whiskers; a glove; and a satin, fur-trimmed cape. Outstanding.

Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950)

Costume designer Edith Head dressed ageing film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) in a style which mixed the contemporary New Look (fitted waists and full skirts) with the vamp-ish glamour that defined Norma’s glory days in the 1920s. The abundance of leopard print, particularly in the poolside scene, perfectly expresses Norma’s vulgarity and excess.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953)

Howard Hawks’ frothy 1953 musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes sees Marilyn Monroe play gold-digging showgirl Lorelai Lee. Boarding the boat to Paris – where she hopes to marry millionaire Gus – Lorelai decks herself out in a black dress, leopard cape, and leopard muff. The luxurious fur gives her an air of expensive glamour; she looks every bit as wealthy as she one day hopes to be.

Party Girl (Nicholas Ray, 1958)

Cyd Charisse’s notorious dance in Party Girl sees her writhing around in a leopard print costume with a matching headband. Putting the focus entirely on those famous legs, the costume (and the dance) is anything but subtle.

Bell, Book and Candle (Richard Quine, 1959)

In Bell, Book and Candle Kim Novak plays Gillian, a Greenwich Village witch who favours beatnik black and bare feet. Sexy and dramatic, Gillian wears capes, long gloves and daring backless dresses. The sartorial highlight might be her leopard print cape, which she wears with a scarlet dress and matching elbow-length gloves. Regrettably, by the film’s end, she is rendered impotent by falling in love and swaps animal prints for pastels.

The Graduate (Mike Nichols, 1967)In Mike Nichols’ legendary film The Graduate, Anne Bancroft’s Mrs Robinson has a penchant for younger men, monochrome, and lashings of leopard print. Perhaps the film that truly cemented leopard print’s association with a kind of calculated seduction, Bancroft manages to look both elegant and alluring in her leopard coat, leopard hat and even leopard underwear.

True Romance (Tony Scott, 1993)

A boyfriend once told me that he could never find leopard print sexy because it reminds him of something his granny would wear. To which I say, what kind of granny did you have? And also, what about Patricia Arquette? In True Romance, Arquette plays call-girl Alabama Whitman, donning a series of outlandish outfits. A neon blonde bombshell, Alabama bares plenty of flesh in her gaudy ensembles, which include a pair of pink leopard leggings and a faux leopard coat. She even gets hitched in leopard print. Seducing Christian Slater and just about everyone in the audience too, Alabama is the ultimate pulp pin-up.

]]>https://criticforhire.wordpress.com/2015/06/30/are-you-here-for-an-affair-the-graduate-1967/
Tue, 30 Jun 2015 14:18:17 +0000criticforhirehttps://criticforhire.wordpress.com/2015/06/30/are-you-here-for-an-affair-the-graduate-1967/Lessons on love. So this is about a college graduate (Dustin Hoffman) who comes home, only to find his longtime neighbor, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), vying for his affection. When she forbids him from seeing her daughter (Katharine Ross), it sets the scene for a whole lot of jilted drama. Some time has passed since the last time I had the opportunity to watch the hilarity that is The Graduate; it’s a film that I have nothing but fond memories for, but for whatever reason, it never managed to find a way into my rotation of movies I rewatch on a regular basis. As always, working my way through the list of 1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die gives me a great excuse to revist the classics I otherwise wouldn’t.

Just look at how perfectly that shot is set up.

Regardless if you’ve ever had an affair with an older married woman, what makes The Graduate work is how relatable it is. This is also what makes it so funny as well, and watching Hoffman get entangled in this tricky predicament leads to big laughs. He’s at the age where he can be confused about what he wants, and it is easy to see why he gets overwhelmed like he does, especially when there is a manipulative man-eater that has him in her sights. It’s his age and demeanor that make you buy into his character; with where he’s at, there is an uncertainty about the future, and everybody wants to give him advice for this transition period of his life. Given that these are close family friends doling it out, and given that he’s a polite young man, he doesn’t have really much of a choice here, other than to nod his head and listen.

Plastics.

For a comedy, The Graduate has some excellent direction, which is something that is rare to see within the genre. It’s so good that it even took home an Oscar for it. On top of the direction and the wonderful performances (Mrs. Robinson is one of the all-time great tragic characters), everything is tied together by one of the most iconic soundtracks of all time, courtesy of Mr. Paul Simon and Mr. Art Garfunkel. Every element about this is top notch, but I do have one qualm about it that holds it back from being a perfect film, for me at least: it hits a drag point right before the big finish. It’s only for a 10 minute period or so, and I think it is just because the play a reprise for the same song three times in a row, but I did notice it. Still, the wedding finale more than makes up for it, and this is considered to be a classic for a reason.

I can no longer deny it: I am experiencing shifts in my body. At the risk of being ostracized, I’m going to use the “M word.” I am peri-menopausal. There. I said it. I’ve been feeling like an irritable narcoleptic with early onset Alzheimer’s and hot flashes like mild anxiety attacks coupled with a sudden high fever. And I’ve got it easy compared to some women.

In our youth culture, to be labeled such is the “kiss of death” and I’m encountering quite a bit of shame in women around this issue. Why does society deem us no longer valid or sexy or fascinating just because we can’t bear children? Seriously? It seems we have an expiration date.

Comedian Amy Schumer recently did a skit called “The Last F#*kable Day” that addresses this strange phenomenon. In it, a small group of Hollywood actresses are gathered to celebrate the expiration date of a fifty-something and some ridiculous truths are exposed. The character of Mrs. Robinson from the movie The Graduate was played by Anne Bancroft at a mere thirty-six years of age! And in our pop culture, she has become the quintessential older woman!!!

Sylvia never let age stand in her way. She was in her forties when she snared the most eligible bachelor of the day, Clark Gable. She was in her fifties when she married her fifth husband, a Georgian prince. And she continued to be the life of parties, traveling the world well into her seventies. Coo coo ka choo!

Every woman knows how distasteful the average man finds “female problems.” How their eyes glaze over when a gal tries to express her experience–whether physically or emotionally. And yet the fairer sex usually exhibits a high level of compassion when it comes to men’s issues. We women don’t exactly enjoy the effects of male pattern baldness or Viagra ads featuring sexy women discussing penile dysfunction. But there it is. We all grow older. And eventually we die.

Our culture has such an odd denial of aging and death. As if ANYONE gets out of here alive! Why can’t we simply face the inevitable decline of the body? Why do we have such shame around the natural aging process? It seems to me a little honesty and humor would serve us far better. Please pass the Botox.

“Mrs Robinson you’re trying to seduce me.” This classic, often misquoted line from the 1967 film The Graduate is just one of many iconic moments that take place in this coming of age drama about 20 year old Benjamin Braddock, a recent graduate who begins an affair with the wife of his father’s business partner, the aforementioned Mrs Robinson.

I first watched this film last year and found it thoroughly enjoyable, having felt a certain familiarity with the film having watched parodies of so many scenes on shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy. Ahead of my second viewing, I was interested to see how I would find it, as re-watching a film can provide a true indication of a films quality and longevity. I can safely say, on second viewing, The Graduate is a timeless classic; I loved watching it again even more so than the first time, for so many reasons.

Firstly the performance of Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin is, simply put, one of my favourite acting displays of all time. From his mannerisms to the way he holds himself; it’s just a perfect piece of casting (although interestingly, they originally had someone tall and blonde in mind).

His nervousness around Mrs Robinson, the way he conveys a complete lack of direction after graduating, his fear of the future, (something I can relate to myself – less so the affair with an older woman), is just perfectly encapsulated by Hoffman. I can only imagine Rob Steiger, who beat Hoffman for the best actor award at the 1967 Oscars, produced a tour de force of acting for In the Heat of the Night.

The video below is a brief extract from my favourite scene in the movie (the hotel scene where his affair with Mrs Robinson begins) as it’s a perfect example of the wonderful performance Hoffman gives, with subtle nuances such as yawning as he goes up to his room, or his inability to catch the waiters eye to order a drink, really resonating with me.

The supporting cast are excellent as well, with Anne Bancroft superb as the enigmatic Mrs Robinson, (she was actually only 35 at the time, just 6 years older than Hoffman). Meanwhile the beautiful Katherine Ross, playing Mrs Robinson’s daughter Elaine who Benjamin eventually falls in love with, also gives a stunning performance; both were deservedly nominated for Oscars, along with Hoffman.

The incredible soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel perfectly complements the film and is easily one of my all time favourite soundtracks of any film, as it just sits so nicely with the films’ themes and motivations; though I have heard it said that many people get a little tired of hearing Sounds of Silence, though I could never tire of such a wonderful song.

The primary reason I love The Graduate so much however, is because it’s so ahead of its time, perfectly summed up by this description which claims the film ‘Encapsulates an era on the brink of change’. This sense of truly not knowing what to do with your life is as relevant today as it was back in the 1960s and furthermore, as a coming of age comedy-drama, it portrays this feeling in a way that many modern films have tried, and failed, to do.

It’s also very un-Hollywood, in-so-far as it doesn’t end happily as in so many pictures; in fact the final scene on the bus is one of the most moving and thought provoking moments in cinema, conveyed not through speech but simple facial expressions, with the ambiguity over whether Benjamin has truly found happiness or simply another distraction so he doesn’t have to face his future.

A happy ending?

Some may find the film quite slow, the soundtrack a little repetitive; I’ve even heard some people accuse Benjamin Braddock of being an unlikeable lead character, but for me this film is something I can relate to. When I’d finished watching it, like all great films, it stayed with me; I had to do the obligatory Wikipedia check to find everything I possibly could about this film.

I would put The Graduate in my top 10 favourite films of all time and for anyone that has graduated from University; I would say it is essential viewing.

CASSIDY’S THOUGHTS:
Well, my first initial were, “What the hell did I just watch?!” I didn’t even bother to read the description, I just figured, “Well, I just graduated from high school. I’m a graduate. I’ll totally relate.” Yea. That feeling of relation only lasted the first 5 minutes of the film. But wow. A young Dustin Hoffman… “Mrs. Robinson.” He killed me every time he spoke her name. Interesting plot line? The ending is what resonated with me the most. ***After 2 hours of watching Hoffman go between his older lover and her daughter, yea, I expected him to end up with her. But I didn’t expect how Nichols would end the onscreen story. They just sat there. In the back of a bus. Kind of just thinking, “Well now what?” There’s so much Nichols leaves up to the audience. Not exactly a happy ending, but content. And I loved that.

MARY’S THOUGHTS:
I took a drama class this year and I feel like we frequently discussed this movie as a classic and a large contribution to the movie world. I have to agree with Cass on the whole “What the hell did I just watch?!” because initially, I just thought the movie was straight up weird. The more I thought about it though, the more I enjoyed it. I think the frequent use of the song “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel really put a great emphasis on Benjamin’s feelings of emptiness. Dustin Hoffman did a great job of conveying those feelings. Those feelings of just straight up not knowing what he wanted. And the ending was perfect. I love how no one will truly ever know what happened with the both of them, but they will for sure know that they end up together. I couldn’t help but straight up laugh out loud whenever Benjamin would nervously talk to Mrs. Robinson in the beginning though. For some odd reason I found it hilarious.

]]>https://watchthisspacefilmmagazine.com/2015/06/07/the-graduate-1967/
Sun, 07 Jun 2015 21:43:00 +0000angryfilmnerdhttps://watchthisspacefilmmagazine.com/2015/06/07/the-graduate-1967/https://themidnightmovie.wordpress.com/2015/06/06/to-be-or-not-to-be-1942/
Sat, 06 Jun 2015 04:16:25 +0000drwhitmoorehttps://themidnightmovie.wordpress.com/2015/06/06/to-be-or-not-to-be-1942/Once a week, I’m probably going to pull out one of my DVDs or Blurays and watch it. I will call this segment, “From My Collection.” These are the films that mean something to me or I just bought them out of impulse. I bought them to watch over and over again and I’d like to find out why all over again. The first film “From My Collection” is the classic comedy To Be or Not to Be from 1942.

The film is set in Warsaw days before the Nazis invaded Poland. We follow a group of actors who are rehearsing an anti-Nazi play. The lead actor and actress of the troop are played by Jack Benny and Carole Lombard and they are married. A man from the government comes in and tells them they cannot do their Nazi play so they change it to Hamlet. Lombard has an admirer who happens to be in the air force, played by a young Robert Stack, and she tells him to meet her in her dressing room when Jack Benny recites the famous line, “to be or not to be.” Stack does just that, and meets Lombard where they agreed. She’s nice to him and playful. They meet up a second time again after Benny recites those famous lines. This time Stack tells her to get a divorce so they can get married. This is when the news breaks that the Nazis have invaded.

Time goes by and Stack is now in England fighting with the British in a Polish division. The leader of the Polish resistance stops by and tells the division that he will be going to Warsaw soon. This gets all the boys excited and they give the man notes and letters for him to pass on to their families in Poland. Stack takes the man aside and tells him to pass on to a girl the phrase, “to be or not to be.” The man asks the name of the girl and he gives him Lombard’s name. Stack expected him to know her name right away because Lombard is the most famous actress in Poland, but the man has no clue who she is. This is where Stack gets suspicious and brings it up to his superiors. They figure out that the man was a Nazi spy and now he’s going to take all the names from the letters to the Nazis and retaliation will be taken against these people. Stack must now get to Warsaw and stop this man.

This film is always sad for me to watch. If you don’t know already, this was Carole Lombard’s final film. She was returning home after a war bond selling tour and was killed in a plane crash. She is my absolute favorite actress. Her beauty and charm has never been equaled or surpassed. Carole Lombard was a natural and her range as an actress was extrodinary. She could be hilarious in one film and she could be dead serious in the next. If you have not seen a film with Carole Lombard, you are really missing out. This film is really not a good film to end her career on because you are left wanting more from her. It was like with James Dean. After Giant, you wonder what else he could have done. She is so great in this film. Even though Benny is the star here and given all laughs, Carole manages to do so much with what she was given.

Everyone is pretty much brilliant in this. Benny is absolutely hilarious. His character is very full of himself and Benny manages to make him lovable. Stack does fine. He probably knew this was going to be Lombard and Benny’s film so he let them do what they did best. The supporting actors are great as well. It was like every role was particularly written for them. Tom Dugan is great as an actor looking for his big role. Sig Ruman plays a hilarious Nazi colonel. Just great acting, period.

This film is directed by the great Ernst Lubitsch. He is one of my absolute favorite directors. His directing even was given the name “The Lubitsch Touch” because no one has ever been able to duplicate the charm and humor that his films contained. This film is definitely one of his many crowning achievements. With him being German, I’m sure this film was very personal for him. He was probably very disgusted at his home country for the atrocities they were committing. There was a very dramatic moment when Shylock’s famous monologue from The Merchant of Venice is quoted. I couldn’t help but feel like that monologue was coming out of Lubitsch’s own mouth.

I HIGHLY recommend this film. I don’t have one bad comment to make about this film. There was a remake made in 1983. It stars Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft and it’s a pretty good remake.

An enthralling and ebullient double bill of two versions of TO BE OR NOT TO BE, Lubitsch’s Black & White masterpiece, also famous for being Carole Lombard’s swan song before a plane crash brought her away from this world at the prime age of 33, and Mel Brooks’ (almost) faithful color remade (although the director title falls on the head of his longtime collaborator Alan Johnson) starring him and his wife Ms. Bancroft.

It is the same story being transcribed under two different palettes, the remake owes its tongue-in-cheek drollness greatly to the screenwriter Edwin Justus Mayer of the 1942 version since many one-liners are copied verbatim, both versions are abounding with witty caricatures of Hitler and his Nazi regime, embellishes a tall order in the wartime Warsaw with conspicuous burlesque, a Polish acting troupe’s collective endeavour to hunt down a German spy and a subsequent flee from war zone to England, during which a crucial tool is that our hero, the ham actor Joseph Tura (Benny) / Frederick Bronski (Brooks), has to playact different characters, from the spy professor, a Nazi colonel and even Hitler himself (in the remake), to bluff his way out; meanwhile he is also vexed by the budding romance between his actor wife Maria (Lombard) / Anna (Bancroft) and a young aviator Lt. Sobieski (Stack) / Lt. Sobinski (Matheson).

But there are also apparent differences which can bear out why Lubitsch’s original is a much better piece of work, taking the opening sequences for example, Lubitsch starts with a voice-over narrating an unusual happening in Warsaw before WWII, Adolf Hitler is spotted on the street, then a following revelation reveals that it is after all an act, Hitler is played by a character actor who tries to test his resemblance by walking among the mass, what a pleasant surprise! But in the remake, Mel Brooks doesn’t adopt this route, instead, he opens with a vaudeville number SWEET GEORGIA BROWN with Bancroft, a fairly impressive stunt but fails to match Lubitsch’s ingenious gambit, later audience will discover, one main reason behind this alteration is that there is no role of the character actor who resembles Hitler in this version, as Brooks himself will disguise as Hitler in the final escape scam, so probably it is a sacrifice to fulfil Brooks’ own ego to enlarge his part as the star.

For most part, the silver-screen magnetism of the original is beguilingly outstrips the remake’s more mundane touch, and being a well-intended fairytale, the mundane touch is unfortunately an impediment particularly in the elongated escape plan, the entire operation feels preposterous with the all the chase (don’t let me start on the doggie Mutki’s eleventh-hour jump) and what happens to the real Hitler in the theatre, he doesn’t feel absurd when clearly no actors are on the stage to perform? In the original, this passage is fast-paced with a whimsical take of the fake Hitler ordering two pilots to jump off the plane without parachutes, to mock Nazi’s blind obedience.

With all my respect to Brooks and Bancroft, but in the remake, they are just too old for their roles, egregiously jarring is Brooks as young Hamlet in his ridicule titular monologue, seriously? I don’t consider myself as an agist, but this is more than a farce to swallow. Bancroft is two-and-a-half decades past her prime as a seductress in THE GRADUATE (1967, 8/10), her comedic bent can never pass beyond the slinky postures. Ok. we get it, it is a family business, let the profit kept within one’s own turf. However, a big thumb-up for the remake to introduce an openly gay character Sasha (Haake), Anna’s dresser, into the plot, in order to carry through the side-splitting wisecrack “how can a theatre survive without Jews, gays and gypsies?”. Also Charles Durning usurps an Oscar-nomination for the remake as Col. Erhardt, but having watched the original first, his farcical rendition feels a shade forced compared with Sig Ruman’s effortless spontaneity.

In the original, the Lombard-and-Benny pair forms a more organic liaison thanks a lot to the retro flair, she is a classic lady with glamour and dignity, he is somewhat childlike but self-consciously over-proud of his acting, their bickering is crammed with spark and tease, even Robert Stack’s handsome pilot is dreamier in the vintage silhouette.

All in all, it might be unfair for the remake to be viewed immediately after the original, but also the double-bill viewing is a telling corroboration of why vintage classics can obtain their timeless appeal, nostalgia aside, they are absolutely one-of-a-kind in their visual tactility, their characters’ mannerism and the streamlined narrative tactics, if you are into it, you cannot get enough of it, as for the remake, maybe it is just not vintage enough, nothing we can do about that, as least for now.

]]>Marie's Story is an example of powerfully made low-key cinema of a familiar story -- a film review]]>https://indieethos.wordpress.com/2015/05/29/maries-story/
Fri, 29 May 2015 14:22:44 +0000Hanshttps://indieethos.wordpress.com/2015/05/29/maries-story/Most everyone knows the true story about Helen Keller: In late 19h century Alabama, a near feral girl, who is deaf, mute and blind, grows up to become a published author after being educated by a teacher named Anne Sullivan who came to be known as “the Miracle Worker.” The Miracle Worker was also the name of the 1962 movie starring Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke directed by Arthur Penn, based on William Gibson’s play. After the director and the actresses all won Oscars, The Miracle Worker became a classic.

Now comes Marie’s Story, which is based on a similar true story from around the same era. Just as the story of Helen Keller was making waves, there was “A French Helen Keller” (read an original news report by the Sacred Heart Review in 1909). The impoverished parents of 10-year-old Marie Heurtin didn’t know what to do with their daughter who was born blind and deaf and could only grunt and scream. They loved her and didn’t want to see her institutionalized, so they brought her to the sisters of La Sagesse at Larnay, who specialized in boarding and educating deaf girls. Sister Marguerite was credited for taking on the challenge of this girl with more handicaps than the convent was used to. Eventually, Marie became a teacher for other girls with her condition.

So is it worth anyone’s while to see the story of Helen Keller again in French and with nuns? The answer is simple: it sure is when you have such a fine example of astute, powerfully moving filmmaking. Even if you know what happens, Marie’s Story is guaranteed to move you to tears, and you won’t feel manipulated by it. Director Jean-Pierre Améris, who also co-wrote the script with Philippe Blasband, tells the story in three distinct acts that are tightly woven together and never wastes a single detail.

We first meet Sister Marguerite (a charming Isabelle Carré), who we are immediately showed suffers from a terminal illness. She can barely contain her excitement about the impending challenge of Marie (Ariana Rivoire, who is deaf in real life). The mother superior (Brigitte Catillon playing stern with low-key curiosity and patience) expresses her doubts and concerns for Marguerite, wiping blood off the sister’s nose, as she smiles about the upcoming challenge of Marie, who is 14 in this story. There’s a sense that the nun needs this to fulfill a purpose in her shortened life.

The film spends much time showing us the frustration of Marguerite but also a stubborn patience full of grace. Rivoire throws her body into her role in impressive tantrums that sometimes end in her escaping up a tree. The beautiful period setting of the countryside enhances the earthy battle between these two women. Sometimes the music by Sonia Wieder-Atherton even turns light and bouncy, cutting the tension with a sense of humor.

Eventually, the breakthrough scene will arrive, but it doesn’t come without Améris showing us great effort by teacher and student. There are times when both seem to exhaust one another into giving in. But ultimately, the teacher wins not by forcing Marie to learn but showing her how she might be able to help herself. The breakthrough comes by empowering Marie, and its refreshingly convened with action, and does something wonderful in its message and storytelling: It speaks not to Marie’s handicap but her autonomy.

Améris doesn’t beat you over the head with this, as he mostly keeps his camera at a distance. The power of the film never needs heightened scenes with music (as charming as it may be at times) to make you feel for these women. What happens between them is intimate and handled low-key. Similarly, we are not constantly reminded of Sister Marguerite’s illness, but we know it’s there after that initial scene when we meet her, and her mission on earth becomes something more than a quest to do good before she shucks off her mortal coil.

When her illness forces her into bed rest, Marguerite must teach Marie one last important lesson: the permanence of death. It’s a mind-blowing concept in the Christian world of this film. Even the Mother Superior comes out to share that death is a painful thing and no amount of faith can make it any less painlful. Yet, still Marie can come to grasp it, mourn it and celebrate the time she had with her teacher. It’s a beautifully shown revelation that never feels cloying. So many Hollywood films wring the hell out of these moments, but here is a film that can show you how to do it right, so even if you think you are familiar with this story, it’s worth watching again to see how filmmakers, including actors, tell it in the most surprisingly delicate manner that never betrays or affronts its potency.

Marie’s Story runs 94 minutes, is in French with English subtitles and is not rated (it doesn’t feature any offensive material). It opens this Friday, May 29 in our South Florida area at the MDC Tower Theater. It maybe playing in other areas of the U.S. or coming soon. For a list of theaters showing it, visit this link. Film Movement provided a DVD screener for the purpose of this review.

(Copyright 2015 by Hans Morgenstern. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)

How well is your background check before you hire a nanny for your child even for one night? How would you know about her mental condition if there is no letter from the doctor? After seeing DON`T BOTHER TO KNOCK, you will certainly be extra cautious and perform better background checks before you let someone in, even, if that someone is a ‘Marilyn Monroe’ type person. In Roy Ward Bakers`s film you will see Marilyn Monroe the way you have never seen her before; an emotionally unstable, dangerous, and totally unpredictable person… almost like Tennessee William`s Blanche DoBois, who was portrayed by Vivien Leigh. Ironically or not, it`s hard to say what made Marilyn Monroe deliver such a powerful performance – Is it because of her acting skill, or is it because she is emoting a certain insanity and instability from her own depths? Whatever it is, does not really matter, because if you`re a Marilyn Monroe fan, then you must trust me on this – this is not a film you want to miss.

DON`T BOTHER TO KNOCK follows Nell Forbes, a beautiful young lady who has just arrived in New York to visit her uncle Eddie. To help her get over some of her internal problems, her uncle helps Nell find a job as a babysitter for a wealthy couple who want to go out for the night. Things start changing in her: her kindness and softness disappear when her lovemaking is interrupted by the little girl she is babysitting. This causes her to go nuts, which is absolutely terrifying.

And the man who dares to knock on the door is Jed Towers (Richard Widmark), an airline pilot who was just dumped by his girlfriend, Lyn Lesley (Debut role of Anne Bancroft) and is seeking attention from the blonde lady. However, after spending a short time with her in the hotel room he realizes that she is a very, disturbed and dangerous person so he tries to leave the room. This is no easy task as she has no desire to let him go… But how can Nell care so much about a man she doesn’t know? This is a puzzle that only Nell can solve. The viewer will learn everything about her and begin to understand that she is not the person you want to be around when she is in that condition…

It`s really hard to watch DON`T BOTHER TO KNOCK, all because Marilyn Monroe gives a mesmerizing, disturbing, and truly scary performance. She shows that she could have been a very powerful, dramatic actress… It was difficult to watch her in some scenes where you can no longer tell the difference between reality and acting – and this was the most shocking part. But the good news is, Anne Bancroft and Richard Widmark bring an unforgettable charm to this film which will allow you to escape the darkness brought by Nell Forbes.